


Red

by Nora_Wolfe



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Fluff and Crack, Leia Organa Wants Grandchildren, Light Angst, Pregnancy, Red String of Fate, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:48:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27526387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nora_Wolfe/pseuds/Nora_Wolfe
Summary: 15-year-old Ben Solo never wanted a soulmate, and is unhappy when he learns that his own is a nobody from Jakku named Rey.But when 30-year-old Ben realizes that Rey is actually a beautiful young woman named Aurelia Palpatine, and doesn't want him anyway, he rethinks his stance on soulmates.(ON HIATUS)
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 5
Kudos: 66
Collections: Ijustfellintothissendhelp





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just my take on the crack-y, fluffy tropes in romance novels, and making it Reylo. Why not?

Benjamin Chewbacca Organa Solo is 15 when he finds out that he has a soulmate.

Soulmates were an outdated concept these days, and even though there was a significant number of people still discovering and bonding with theirs through sheer luck and coincidence, actively looking for one's mate was considered somewhat gauche amongst the popular crowd at the private school he attended, and other people of his generation. 

After all, why would anyone leave the matter of love up to fate when the world had changed so much? What if one never found the person they were destined to be with? What if they didn't exist at all? And for those who were polyamorous, was it possible to have more than one soulmate?

There were too many questions surrounding the subject, and soon, the practice of finding and matching people with their soulmates was deemed old-fashioned and out of touch with the changing social norms by most of the younger population, leading to a decline in the number of bonded pairs.

Only the oldest and wealthiest families who could trace their ancestry back to the first generations of soulmate pairs continued to follow the custom of finding their other halves, and often visited oracles who would consult their preferred methods of divination to reveal the names and locations of their mates.

It was said that true soulmates would have an invisible, unbreakable red thread bound around their little fingers, manifested when the pairs came into existence, and linking their destinies regardless of space, time, or circumstances. And once these soulmates were bonded, they became as one, able to hear and respond to each other's thoughts and emotions, and could share their abilities as well.

It was therefore no wonder that many soulmate pairs were powerful and formidable, often becoming leaders, teachers, warriors, or other experts in their own chosen vocations. 

Ben already knows that there was a very strong possibility that his parents, Han Solo and Leia Organa, would be looking for his destined mate, assuming he has one, but he had not realized that they had already enlisted the services of Lor San Tekka, an oracle who specialized in the identification of soulmates.

And at the moment, Ben is sitting sullenly in Lor San Tekka's surprisingly modern office, waiting for the oracle to pronounce his findings. Han and Leia are hovering anxiously behind him, their worries about their son not having a soulmate clearly written across their faces.

"Rey of Jakku," Lor San Tekka finally intones, as he laboriously writes out her name and the coordinates of where they can find her onto a piece of paper. "For some reason, she has no last name, and I could not detect anything else beyond her first name and location. The stars have chosen not to reveal much to me this time."

"Jakku?" Ben sneers. "That's a desert wasteland! It's already embarrassing enough that I have to do this and be made fun of by my friends, but to have a soulmate from that horrible little town?"

"Benjamin!" his mother hisses. "It shouldn't matter where your soulmate is from. This is our heritage. Your grandfather and grandmother were soulmates, and now, the tradition carries on in you." 

"Mom, you and Dad aren't even soulmates," he angrily retorts. "You didn't have to go through this outdated farce; you just eloped!"

Leia blanches at his vehemence. It was true that she and Han were not soulmates, having fallen in love during Han's tenure as a lecturer of Ancient History, when she had just been a sophomore at the University of Alderaan. Her adoptive parents, Bail and Breha Organa, had been disappointed by the fact that she never bothered to consult the oracles in the first place, but they soon warmed up to Han when they realized that he truly loved Leia.

Her birth parents, Anakin Skywalker and Padme Naberrie Skywalker, had been soulmates. But when Padme had died in childbirth, Anakin had gone mad with grief, losing himself in his work as Naboo's Minister of Defense until his broken heart finally gave out two weeks later, leaving Leia and her twin brother, Luke, behind.

Ben knew the story of Anakin and Padme very well, having heard it numerous times from his mother as a child, but hadn't considered that he would be part of what he considered an outdated practice as he grew older.

"Shit," he mumbles under his breath. "I'm sorry, Mom," he apologizes, his expression contrite. "It's just a lot to take in right now, and I'll need some time to get used to the idea."

"Well, then," Han interjects before Leia can say anything else. "How about we take a little trip to Jakku, so that we can all meet Rey?"

* * *

Ben would never get used to the desert temperatures of Jakku as long as he lived, he thinks. It is the sort of heat that weighs down on one's skin, despite the aridity of the environment, and he wonders how Rey could stay in such an unbearable climate.

And Jakku itself is a desolate little town that had seen better days. The homes of its inhabitants are barely more than small, crudely-built shacks, and the residents he'd seen so far are hollow-eyed and listless as they trudge along the dusty cobbled streets.

"This is where she lives?" Ben is aghast as Han stops their rented car in front of a lot that looks like a junkyard. Han had instructed them to dress as plainly as possible, in an effort not to draw attention to themselves. From what little they had learned about Jakku, it had seemed safer to travel incognito and keep a low profile until they could ascertain who Rey was, and what her family was like.

Leia only shrugs in response, but her face holds a look of determination. She sweeps towards the entrance of the dilapidated hut within the lot, her bearing as regal as though she were walking into a soiree at their estate in Alderaan, and not a hovel in the middle of nowhere.

Ben sighs as he follows in his mother's wake. He has no idea what to expect, and is about to ask her if they could turn back and return home when he collides with someone and falls.

Or rather, someone runs into him. A short someone.

From Ben's vantage point on the ground, the culprit looks to be a child of about five, giggling merrily as she dances a jig around him. She is dishevelled and dressed in rags, her complexion freckled by the sun and her chestnut hair in knots, but her grin is incandescent, and Ben can't help but smile back. 

"I'm Ben. What's your name, kiddo?" he asks as he maneouvres into a sitting position on the ground. He feels light-headed, euphoric almost, as though something loose in his mind has finally been jostled into place, but he chalks it up to being bowled over by a little girl who must be stronger than she looks, judging by the force of the impact.

"I'm Rey!" she peeps excitedly. "And what are you here for? We don't get many visitors." She wrinkles her nose at him, and tilts her head to the side, curiosity lighting up her gamine features.

Ben freezes in shock, icy prickles of dread crawling down his spine, as the full weight of the fact that his soulmate is a _nobody_ from the streets of Jakku finally hits him. He scrambles to his feet, kicking up the gravel and loose cobblestones beneath him as he turns to run away from Rey. He thinks he hears a startled cry of pain as one of the cobblestones strikes the girl, but he can't bring himself to look back to see if she's all right. 

Not when it seems as though his future looks to be as bleak as the town he's running away from.

* * *

"Ben," Leia's tone is gentle, as they sit together in the backseat of the car, leaving Jakku behind. "I understand that this is a lot to take in right now."

"A lot?" he explodes. "She's a nobody, and she comes from nothing! How is she my soulmate?"

Han looks up at the rearview mirror from the driver's seat, his gaze sharp and reproving, as he grunts, "Watch it, kid."

Ben belatedly remembers his father's own upbringing, and his stories about his life in Corellia after being abandoned by his own father.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Ben chokes out, tears forming in his eyes. "I just, it's just…"

Leia reaches out for her son, doing her best to enfold his lanky frame in her arms. He's too big to hug properly now, she thinks, but he's still so young in all the ways that matter.

"Rey is a sweet girl, if a little wild, according to Plutt," Leia begins. "We don't know who her parents are, and Unkar Plutt is her foster father. He seems to be a good man, from what I could tell, and we've made an arrangement to send funds for Rey's care on a monthly basis."

"I can't marry her, Mom," Ben whispers. "I don't think she's right for me."

Han clears his throat. "Son, we won't force you to do anything that you don't want to, especially when it comes to your own life." He catches Leia's eye in the rearview mirror, and they come to a silent understanding. "You're still young yourself, and we were wrong to push you into this soulmate business, when you haven't even graduated from school yet."

"Speaking of which," Leia continues. "Where do you want to go after you graduate? We'll need to start considering applications soon."

The distraction works, and Ben starts listing all the possible universities he plans to apply to. His expression becomes more animated, and Leia feels the tension drain from his body. 

That night, back at their Alderaan estate, Han and Leia agree to let Ben live his life as he wants, and to let old things die.

* * *

**15 years later**

There is already a crowd of guests at the foyer of Palpatine Manor, when Senator Ben Solo of Alderaan arrives, for the dinner party.

He smiles at the butler in thanks, as he is formally announced in the drawing room, his eyes already scanning for his best friend and fellow Senator, Armitage Hux of Arkanis. 

"Solo!" Ben hears his name over the hushed conversations, and turns to greet Hux with a wide grin.

"Armie!" he claps Hux on the back, almost causing the other man to choke on his drink. 

"Take it easy there, Solo," he grumbles after a short bout of coughing. "This is a Zegna, and Rose won't be happy if I come home with wine stains all over it. And for the last time, don't call me Armie in public!"

"You're so easy to rile up, Hux," Ben's tone is fond, as he regards his friend of more than 12 years and counting. "And how's Rose doing, by the way? Is she feeling any better?"

Hux's face lights up whenever he speaks of his soulmate, making his aristocratic features seem younger than he is. "Much better now. The first trimester was extremely tough on her, but we've finally pulled through, and I'm making sure she gets enough rest these days."

Ben had met Hux during his stint as a teacher at his uncle's academy in Ahch-To. Uncle Luke, and his wife, Mara Jade, had established a school for the less-fortunate on the island, and he and Hux had chosen to work there at the same time as part of their gap year.

They had been rivals at first, both wanting to prove themselves as the better teacher, but after a particularly gruelling day when all their students had attempted to stage a coup, they'd formed a reluctant alliance that soon blossomed into a firm friendship that has endured over the years.

"I still can't believe Chancellor Palpatine is retiring this year," Ben comments as he snags a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. "Mon Mothma will be a great Chancellor, of course, but it feels like the end of an era."

"He just wants to spend the rest of his time getting to know his granddaughter, that's all," replies Hux flippantly as he drains his own drink. At Ben's puzzled expression, he sighs. "You didn't know? My good man, you're such a workaholic that you don't bother keeping up with the gossip."

"What granddaughter?"

"Palpatine found his long-lost granddaughter about a year ago, in some backwater town. Jakku, I think? Anyway, she's definitely his granddaughter; all the DNA tests recently came back with conclusive proof, and that's the main reason why he's retiring. And for this dinner party."

Ben's mind is racing as he digests Hux's words. Jakku is a memory that he had not thought about much since that ill-fated trip with his parents all those years ago. He wonders if Rey is still there at the junkyard; she would be about 20 years old now, and he hopes that she has somehow managed to leave the town behind for a better life elsewhere. Leia had no idea about Rey's situation the last time he checked with her; Plutt had passed away when she was 16, and she'd applied for emancipation then.

"Oh, there they are!" Hux's voice breaks him out of his musing. "Palpatine is _smiling_." He says the word as though a miracle has just occurred in front of him, and he's not sure if he likes it.

Ben stares at the slender figure standing next to Chancellor Palpatine, clad in an evening gown of jade green silk, her strong shoulders bared by the Grecian design, and a bejewelled cuff is wrapped around her right bicep. Her chestnut hair is bound in a chignon, revealing high cheekbones and delicately freckled features. She is _beautiful_ , and it takes almost all of his willpower to hold himself back from storming up to her side, and snarling at all the other men vying for her attention. He wants to take her home, and absolutely ruin her for anyone else.

He's not sure why he feels a sudden sense of possessiveness over this woman, when he's never met her in his…

_No_ , his mind whispers. _You know her. She's always been a part of you._ There is a tug around his little finger, and he realizes that his _soulmate_ is here.

"Rey," he breathes in awe.

* * *

Aurelia Palpatine, formerly known as Rey of Jakku, can't wait for the end of the dinner party, so that she can rip off the stupid dress and pull out all the hairpins poking into her scalp.

"Grandfather, I'd hate to sound ungrateful, but there was really no need to throw a party just because you found me," she gripes quietly, as she hides her annoyance under a practiced smile.

"Nonsense, my dear," Sheev Palpatine beams at her. "It's a cause for celebration, now that you're back where you belong. 20 years, Aurelia, is a long time for one to be without family." He pats her hand that's clinging to his arm, and adds, "It'll only be for a few hours, at any rate. These old bones would like to rest too."

She snorts inelegantly at his words. She's never seen her grandfather rest during the past year, not since he found her in Jakku and worked hard to establish her legitimacy in the eyes of the world, so that he could have someone to pass his legacy onto. 

"Ah, here comes young Solo to pay his respects, I presume," Palpatine drawls. "A good man, Ben is. A little too impetuous at times, but his heart is always in the right place, and he takes care of his constituents."

Rey turns to glance at the newcomer, an absolute giant of a man with unfashionably long dark hair and intense eyes, and she feels a tendril of yearning coil in her abdomen once she sees his face. Taller than her by at least half a foot, his massive frame is wrapped in an all-black ensemble, with only accents of silver to relieve the starkness of his appearance. She wonders how his full lips would feel against hers, their bodies tangled together on the silk sheets on her bed...

Her inner thoughts must be reflected in her expression, because Solo smirks at her before bowing over her outstretched hand. 

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Palpatine," he murmurs as he plants a delicate kiss over her knuckles. Her hand is completely engulfed in his grip, and she thinks he could easily wrap his fingers around both of her wrists if he wants. There is a tug around her little finger, and she isn't sure if it's because he's still holding her hand as if he never wants to let go.

"Rey," she blurts out unthinkingly. "Please call me Rey." She cringes inwardly as she senses her grandfather raising his eyebrows in barely-concealed curiosity beside her. She hadn't invited any of the other guests to call her by her first name, after all.

"Rey," he smiles, and she catches her breath. Not only because he's absurdly beautiful when does it, but because she's seen that smile before. On a boy whom she had been told was her soulmate. The boy who gave her the scar on her arm 15 years ago.

"Ben," her tone of her voice is wintry now, and he knows that she's realized who he really is. "It's so good to see you again."

* * *

The rest of the dinner party had passed without a hitch, as Rey had made sure to avoid Ben as much as she could without inciting suspicion. She had conversed, laughed, and at times, flirted with the other guests, playing the part of the happy granddaughter, while seething with fury underneath her jovial facade. 

Ben, for the most part, had been respectful of her unspoken wish to be left alone, and had only studied her intently whenever she was within his sight. It had only made her more restless, and once the event ended, she had immediately retreated to her bedroom suite to change out of her gown, and possibly, plot Ben Solo's painful demise.

"Of all the people in the world, how is he my soulmate?" she hisses at her reflection in her vanity mirror. "Arrogant, classist jackass!"

_But a very handsome jackass_ , her mind helpfully supplies.

"There has to be a way to get rid of an unwanted soulmate," she grumbles. 

"Already tired of me, sweetheart?" an amused baritone resonates from her bed. "But we've barely begun our relationship."

Rey shrieks in surprise, nearly falling off her seat as she sees Ben Solo lounging amongst the mass of pillows, wearing nothing but a pair of black pajama pants slung low across his hips. Acting on pure instinct honed by years of living in Jakku, she grabs a hairbrush off her vanity and flings it in his direction.

The object passes through him, as though his form is merely a figment of her imagination. But Rey's mind could not possibly have conjured up the expanse of pale skin, and the muscles shifting beneath it, as Ben settles himself into a more comfortable position on her bed. She feels her cheeks burn as he shoots her a sly smile.

"What the fuck?" she yelps in dismay. "How are you doing this?"

"I don't know," he says nonchalantly, seemingly unbothered by the situation. "But I do know that I like what you're wearing to bed." His eyes sweep down the length of her body, his gaze lingering as it reaches her bare legs.

Rey looks down at herself, simply clad in a baggy t-shirt and sleep shorts, and is about to make a sarcastic comment about his sartorial preferences, when she realizes that he's no longer in the room with her.

* * *

Back in his own bedroom on the Alderaan estate, Ben groans as the connection between them breaks. He had wanted to tease Rey some more, to see for himself if the flush beginning on her cheeks could extend all the way down to her chest, which had lamentably been covered by her t-shirt.

A small idea suddenly crystallizes in his mind. _If Palpatine is trying to cement Rey's position as his heir, it would be good for her if my mother is around to assist_ , he thinks. After all, Leia was considered to be quite influential in the social circles both their families ran in, and her word could make or break a reputation. Ben would call her first thing in the morning, he decides, to arrange a plan to bring Rey into his orbit.

And with that thought, he falls asleep with a satisfied smile. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben somehow evolved a conscience between this chapter and the last. *shrug*

"Aurelia, my dear, did you not sleep well last night?" Palpatine asks when he sees Rey slowly approaching the breakfast nook he's seated at, his usual fare of black tea and toast in front of him. "You simply must tell me if I'm taxing you with too many social obligations."

Rey smiles wanly at her grandfather, shaking her head as she pours herself a cup of coffee from the ever-present carafe. "It's nothing, Grandfather; I just had a few things on my mind."

"Senator Solo being one of them, if I'm not mistaken," comes Palpatine's canny reply. "He's your soulmate, isn't he?"

She looks at him in surprise, wondering if she had been so transparent in her actions last night. "Is it that obvious?"

"You forget that I've spent my entire career learning to read people and their expressions, Aurelia," he says dryly. "It wasn't apparent to most of the guests, but I was there when you interacted with Solo. It was quite clear to me that there's something meaningful between the two of you, from what I saw on both your faces afterwards."

She groans in mortification, remembering what she had told her grandfather about her soulmate before, that he had run away from her when she had been but a child. And the years afterwards, when she had only received a perfunctory letter from Leia's office each month, along with the allowance that had funded her education and cost of living in Jakku, until she had turned 16 and applied for emancipation. She'd been taken care of, that itself was true, but she never felt as though she belonged to a real family, until her grandfather found her. And it had _hurt_ when she was old enough to understand that her own soulmate had rejected her outright back then. 

She'd always assumed that his name was Ben Organa. She knows better now.

And having Ben _Solo_ back in her life is wreaking havoc on her emotional equilibrium, which she'd worked so hard to achieve after all those years of feeling all alone. 

"Ah, before I forget," Palpatine suddenly claps his hands together, making Rey jump. "Leia Organa has graciously offered to sponsor you for your debut next month. She reached out to me this morning, and I think it's a marvellous idea, considering that we will need all the support we can get to cement your social status as my granddaughter. You'll be staying with her in Alderaan until then."

She stares at him in disbelief. "You do realize that this is a ploy to bring me closer to _him_ , right?" 

"Well," he smiles. "If you complete the soulmate bond with your young man within the month, there would be no need for you to attend the Coruscant debutante ball, would there?" 

"Grandfather! That's not the point!"

Palpatine chuckles as he rises to his feet. "Now if you'll excuse me, dear girl, I shall respond to Leia right away to let her know that you'll be arriving tomorrow."

* * *

Rey thinks that she will never get used to how the upper classes live, despite sharing a home with her grandfather over the past year. 

The Solo family majordomo, Charles Ponsonby-Orton the Third (" _please call me Charles, Ms. Palpatine_ ") is escorting her to Leia's study, ostensibly to discuss her schedule for the month she'll be living with them.

Grandfather had chosen to live somewhat simply, only employing a skeleton staff to maintain Palpatine Manor, but it seems to Rey that the main hall of the Organa-Solo family seat is constantly filled with people scurrying about their duties. She's seen at least two people in suits, carrying datapads, scamper past her and Charles within the time it took for them to walk to the study.

"Aurelia!" Leia's voice rings out as Rey steps into the room. "How you've grown! I can't express how delighted we are to have you here with us in Alderaan."

"Please call me Rey," she automatically responds. "It's an honour to have you sponsor me for my debut, Ms. Organa."

"No need for such formality, Rey; you can call me Leia," her eyes twinkle with amusement. "After all, you're like family, given the circumstances, and I do hope that we'll continue seeing each other after the event."

_And I hope that Ben falls off a cliff so that I never have to see him again_ , Rey fumes inwardly.

"Leia," she begins before her nerves get the better of her. "Before we go any further, I just wanted to let you know that I truly appreciate all that you've done for me, from the time we first met in Jakku. However, I don't plan to bond with Ben, not now, not ever. So if that'll pose a problem, I'll just pack my bags and leave immediately."

The other woman's smile barely wavers as she gestures Rey towards a pair of armchairs facing each other. "Come, we shall only chat about the preparations we'll need to make to get you ready for the debut. We don't have to talk about Ben at all; I've already accepted that he's a lost cause when it comes to you, and he'll have to fix his own mistakes like the grown man he is. He's entirely too much like his father: he shoots his mouth off first, and asks questions later."

Rey laughs in relief. But a small part of her wonders if she's making a colossal mistake by trying to push Ben out of her life.

* * *

_She's here, she's here_ , Ben crows internally as he strides towards the door of his mother's study, immensely pleased that the first part of his plan has gone off without a hitch. Not that he's actually thought everything through yet, since he's been preoccupied with fantasies of getting Rey naked ever since he saw her in his vision of her bedroom, but he's confident that the Solo charm will eventually override any doubts that she has about their soulmate bond.

He manages a cursory knock, listening to the voices within pause their conversation, before pushing his way in. He thinks Leia might be smiling in amusement at his abrupt entrance, but he only has eyes for the other woman in the room.

Rey is staring at him in stony silence, her hazel eyes bright with disdain. Her disgruntled expression only heightens her appeal, and he wants to see how far he can push her buttons before she stops pretending to be indifferent to him. He grins at her unabashedly, barely suppressing his urge to sweep her into his arms as he says, "You look as beautiful as ever, sweetheart."

Leia snorts at his pronouncement, standing up to leave the room. "I'm afraid that I have several matters to attend to at the moment, and will be back later to continue our discussion, Rey. But please feel free to explore, and use any of the facilities on the grounds. As I've mentioned earlier, I want to make your stay a pleasant one, despite the presence of my wayward son."

"Mom!" Ben pretends to be distraught by her words, placing a hand over his heart. "I'm shocked that you would have such a low opinion of me. Me, your _only_ son."

Leia shoots him a look that brooks no nonsense, exactly like the ones she regularly levels at his father. "Benjamin, if I hear any complaints regarding your behaviour from Rey, I'll petition Mon Mothma to send you to Hoth on a diplomatic mission."

"But there's practically nothing there, Mom, just a military base, tauntauns and wampas!" He looks discomfited at the thought of having to move to the barren tundra. 

"Precisely."

Thus having rendered Ben speechless, which was a rare occurrence indeed, Leia sweeps out of the study with a satisfied quirk to her lips. _Don't mess this opportunity up, son_ , she thinks. _I'd like to have grandchildren someday. And speaking of grandchildren, I'll have to update Sheev on Rey's arrival._

* * *

Rey eyes Ben with some amusement once they're alone in the room. He's regained some of his composure after his little exchange with his mother, but he hasn't said another word to her yet. He sinks heavily into the armchair Leia's just vacated, one large hand rubbing across his face. Rey almost feels sorry for him, for having to deal with a force of nature like Leia on a daily basis. Almost.

"Benjamin," she says mockingly. "Don't tell me that you're not a fan of Hoth wildlife, considering that you have much in common with the wampas."

"If I were to be a wampa, would that make you the tauntaun then?" he replies cheekily. "Because if you were one, I'd chase you down and bring you to my cave."

"If this is your idea of flirting," Rey's lips moue in distaste. "I can see why you needed Leia's help in getting me to come here."

His gaze dips to her mouth for an instant, before he looks back into her eyes. "Oh, no, sweetheart, this isn't how I flirt. Not with you. You deserve much more than banal one-liners and empty promises."

"And what do I deserve, exactly?" she hurls the question at him, thinking about the boy she met 15 years ago, who'd been afraid of his soulmate connection with a girl too low on the social ladder for him. "I didn't deserve your respect when I was Rey Nobody from Jakku, but now that I'm Aurelia Palpatine, granddaughter of a former Chancellor, I'm someone worthy of your regard?"

Ben is silent for several tense moments, working his jaw as he mulls over her words. "No, you should have had my respect from the beginning, Rey. I was young and stupid, and I sincerely apologize for how I reacted when I first met you in Jakku. If given the chance, I'll do my best to make it up to you, and prove that I'm not the same person that I was back then."

She leans back in her seat, surprised that he's so readily contrite. She really wants to believe in him, that her soulmate has truly changed for the better, but for someone like her, who's never felt as though she belongs anywhere until now, it's difficult to let go of the doubts she harboured for more than half her life.

"Ben," she sighs. "I would love to be proven wrong, really, I would. But how do you know that the sentiment is real, and it's not just this soulmate business compelling you to feel this way?"

"If you give me the opportunity, I'll show you, Rey," he vows. "I'll show you that I'm capable of being a better man, and one who is worthy of your love and affection. Someone you would be proud to acknowledge as your soulmate."

She regards his earnest face, seeing the hint of vulnerability shining in his whiskey brown eyes, and comes to a decision that she hopes she won't regret.

"Fine," she reluctantly agrees. "You'll have until next month, the evening of the Coruscant debutante ball, to convince me that we should complete our soulmate bond. If I still don't feel the same way as you apparently do, you'll have to stop holding on to this notion of us being together, and let me go my own way. And if I somehow do happen to fall in love with you before the time is up, well…" she trails off.

Ben grins boyishly at her, clearly pleased at the challenge she's just issued. "Should we seal the bargain then? Make it official?"

Rey stares at him in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

His gaze drops to her mouth once more, and he murmurs, "All contracts should be formally agreed to by both parties, and in our case, I think a kiss should be sufficient to pledge our, ah, dedication to fulfilling the terms."

She gives him a pointed look, and snipes, "Really, Ben? Is this what the Senators do when they come to an agreement? They lock lips in the middle of the Senate Rotunda?"

He huffs, whether in amusement or exasperation, she can't tell. But his lips look soft and inviting, and she thinks it wouldn't be so bad to feel them against hers, just this once. Then perhaps, she can satiate the unacknowledged yearning she's felt inside her ever since she saw him on the night of the dinner party. 

"Oh, very well, let's just get this over with then," she hears herself speak, and Ben slowly lowers his head to hers.

* * *

Kissing Rey is a revelation, Ben realizes as their lips touch. 

It isn't just the pull of their soulmate bond that draws them together, both trying to get as close as they can to each other without being in the same skin. He _wants_ her, as he's never wanted anyone else before, of his own volition. His blood is roaring in his ears, and the taste of her mouth on his is indescribable. 

His hands reach out to pull her clumsily onto his lap, their knees knocking as she scrambles to rearrange her limbs over him. Tilting her head upwards, she boldly pushes her tongue against the seam of his lips, pressing hard until he parts for her, and their teeth clack for an instant.

He chuckles against her mouth, making her stiffen in his arms, but he immediately soothes her by sweeping his hands over her back and down to her hips, marvelling at how small and fragile she feels, even though he knows better. He deepens the kiss, sucking on her lower lip until she whimpers and pushes her breasts into his chest. 

"Ben," she pants. "Please touch me, I need more…" her voice trails off when he moves his mouth up and over her cheek to nibble on her earlobe, making her cry out when his teeth clamp down on the tender flesh.

"Like this, sweetheart?" he rumbles in her ear as he cups her breasts in his palms, brushing his thumbs over her peaking nipples. She isn't wearing a bra under her summer dress, and he swears under his breath, wondering if her nipples would be as pink as her swollen lips.

Her soft cries of pleasure echo in the study, and his cock is straining against the confines of his trousers, as his touch wrings more gasps and moans from Rey. He's almost ready to rip her dress down to bare her breasts when a sudden "Oh, my!" comes from the doorway.

Swiftly turning, he sees the retreating back of one hapless Charles Ponsonby-Orton the Third, who'd be lucky to escape his ire later for spoiling his interlude with Rey. He looks back to see her eyes sharpen, the sensual expression in her face giving way to a shrewd look, as she slowly moves off his lap.

"Quite a way to ratify an agreement, Benjamin," she says lightly while trying to smooth over the wrinkles on her outfit. "I do hope that the kiss was adequate, as we won't be doing that again."

He can almost believe that she isn't as affected as he is, judging from the steady tone of her voice, but the slight trembling of her body gives her away. He wants to say something to rattle her further, to make her admit that the kiss meant something, damnit, but there is a sadness lurking in her eyes, and he knows that he can't afford to hurt her again.

Instead, he captures her fluttering hands in his, and presses soft kisses against her palms, trying to pour all of his feelings for her into them. He still says nothing as she pulls away from his grasp and walks out of the study, without looking back.

* * *

"Han," Leia whispers as they both lie in bed that night, cuddled in each other's arms. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"For Ben and Rey?" he responds drowsily. "I don't know. They're soulmates, right? They'll figure things out on their own."

"Maybe," she says. "Or maybe not. I heard from Charles that he found them kissing in the study this afternoon, but Rey walked out a few minutes later, looking like she was going to cry."

"Ben's a good kid, Leia, and he's not going to hurt Rey intentionally. Besides, didn't we agree to let him live his own life after that shit in Jakku? Whether he can get her to fall in love with him is up to him, and all we can do is support our boy in whatever he chooses to do."

"I suppose you're right, but I don't like feeling helpless about this whole situation."

"Neither do I, princess, but we have to trust that Ben knows what he's doing," replies Han. "And now if you don't mind, Your Worshipfulness, I'd like to get some sleep."

Leia smothers her laugh against Han's shoulder as she snuggles closer under his arm.

* * *

Rey sits up in bed, having tossed and turned for the past hour without any success in falling asleep. She chalks it up to being in an unfamiliar environment, after getting used to her own suite on Palpatine Manor, but she knows that it's really because of Ben and the passionate kiss they shared in the afternoon. And because of his gentle demeanour afterwards, when he had held and kissed her hands.

She'd been prepared for a seduction that evening, and thought that Ben would behave in a predictable manner, trying to cajole her into completing their bond as soon as possible. Instead, he'd given her space during dinner as well, and only smiled in response whenever she glanced his way. 

And as though her thoughts have summoned him, Ben materializes on the bed next to her.

He's wearing the same black pajama pants she's seen on him before, but this time, he's also wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, balancing a datapad on his lap as he turns to look at her.

"Rey?" he takes off his glasses and sets aside the datapad on a separate surface, possibly a bedside table, she thinks. "Is everything all right? I could feel your…" he stops as he registers her melancholy expression.

"Could you please hold me?" she bursts out. "Oh, wait, I don't think…"

Her voice trails off as she feels his muscular arms wrap around her, pulling her towards him in a solid embrace.

"How is this possible?" she wonders. "I couldn't hit you when we were in my bedroom before."

"I don't know how soulmate bonds work, but it seems as though ours is getting stronger," Ben's voice is muffled as he presses his face into her hair. "I could almost feel your agitation earlier, bits and pieces, really, but I didn't want to intrude."

"Sometimes I feel so alone," she whispers, suddenly feeling the need to unburden her thoughts to Ben, of all people. "Everyone acts as though they know me, but no one does."

"You're not alone, Rey," Ben murmurs. "I'm here now, and I'm so sorry for hurting you back then. If I could go back in time and change how we first met, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"Just hold me," she asks, ignoring the surge of hope his words evoke. "Until I fall asleep."

"Whatever you need, sweetheart."

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to say hi on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/i_am_nora_wolfe)!


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